Mission:

The ABD Productions/Anne Bluethenthal & Dancers is to inspire social change through the arts.  Based in San Francisco, our women- and queer-centered multi-ethnic company is committed to the production of new dance works created in collaboration with diverse communities.  Our dances grow from deep investigations into the language of movement, using that vocabulary in eloquent, bold, and subversive acts of art.  We endeavor to awaken our collective humanity by injecting the possibility of transformation and beauty into complex and challenging subjects, from globalization and genocide to global warming and gender fluidity.

History:

Since its founding in 1984, ABD has contributed greatly to the cultural life of the Bay Area. Artistic Director Anne Bluethenthal has been widely recognized for her choreography, including SF Chronicle's Best of the Year, SF Weekly's Black Box, Bay Guardian's Goldie Award for Achievement in Dance, and Curve Magazine’s Best Choreographer Award, among other honors. Our ensemble is a highly accomplished and diverse group of dancers and collaborating artists. ABD presents performances and community collaborations that take on difficult issues with eloquence and passion, creating work on such subjects as Israel and Palestine, globalization, climate change, and genocide. Our community partners for the creation of this kind of issues-oriented new work have included Global Women’s Strike, the Breast Cancer Fund, Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, Women Against War, Women Organized to Respond to Life Threatening Disease, Women’s Equity in Access to Care and Treatment, Community Housing Partnership: Solutions to Homelessness, OASIS for Girls, and International Day for the Elimination of Violence Toward Women and Girls, among others. ABD performs regularly at home in the Bay Area and on tour. Recent engagements include the International Festival of Movement & Dance on the Volga in Russia; SF Trolley Dances; the International Conference of Expressive Arts Therapy; the 92nd Street Y, American Dance Guild Festival, and Wave Rising Festival in NYC; and Ohio State University.